Mail Survey of Recipients of Bureau of Justice Statistics
Print Publications, May 1997
By Jaime Green, BJS Intern, Summer 1997
BJS surveyed traditional users of BJS printed products to
see whether other media might appeal to them more. ("Web
Statistics--Measuring User Activity: An Analysis of BJS
Web Site Usage Statistics" analyzes BJS web site use for
the last four months of 1997.) The 1997 mail survey (at
the end of this paper) was mailed May 15, 1997, to 61,000
BJS users: 32,746 who had ordered a printed BJS report in
the previous year, overlapping with 40,607 users registered
in BJS data categories (law enforcement, corrections,
probation and parole, courts, sentencing, victims, drugs and
crime, information systems, criminal history records, justice
expenditure and employment, federal offenses and offenders,
and BJS). There were 15,179 respondents, a response rate
of 26%. Highlights include the following:
* 89.7% (13,623) said they still
wanted to receive printed and
bound reports by mail;
5.5% said they did not.
* Asked what factors influenced their
need for printed copies,
54.1% said the subject;
36.4%, how often they used it;
23.6%, length.
* Of those who said length was a
factor, 13.6% of them wanted paper
copies of reports 25 or more pages
long.
* 52.3% said they had used the
Internet; 43.2% said they had not.
* Of those who had been online,
24.2% had visited the BJS site
in the previous month.
* 55.4% of those who use the
Internet had ever downloaded
a document onto their computer.
* Respondents said the file types
they most often downloaded were--
15.0% ASCII or plain text (.txt)
13.4% Internet (.html) pages
10.9% Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files
7.6% graphics (.gif) files
4.9% zipped (.zip) spreadsheets
3.6% unzipped (.wk1) spreadsheets.
* 96.7% of respondents wanted to
receive notices of new BJS reports.
* 87.2% wanted notices of BJS
reports along with reports from
other agencies.
* 78.7% wanted notices by U.S. mail;
18.7% by e-mail;
9.6% by fax.
* 73.6% said they would not want to receive
BJS data and reports on a CD-ROM;
14.2% said they would;
12.2% did not answer.
Geographical distribution
Region Number Percent
U.S. 15,059 99.2%
Northeast 3,533 23.3%
Midwest 3,621 23.9%
South 4,952 32.6%
West 2,953 19.5%
U.S. Dependencies 17 0.1%
Not U.S. 47 0.3%
Unknown 56 0.4%
Total 15,179 100%
The respondents held a variety of occupations related to
the criminal justice field, as determined by their address
label. Half could not be determined. Of those that could
be determined, the most popular professions were, in this
order:
13.8% law enforcement
7.2% academics (including students)
4.2% corrections
4.1% directors of justice or health care agencies
3.4% nonsworn law enforcement officials such as dispatchers.
Occupations of respondents from address labels
Occupation Number Percent
Unknown 7,768 51.2%
Librarians and
researchers 385 2.5%
Attorneys 268 1.8%
Academics 1,090 7.2%
Prisoners 86 0.6%
Law enforcement 2,096 13.8%
Religious
officials 37 0.2%
Business 264 1.7%
Social scientists 255 1.7%
Corrections 634 4.2%
Journalists 102 0.7%
Court officials 75 0.5%
Analysts 109 0.7%
Other 520 3.4%
Other law
enforcement 435 2.9%
Community groups 135 0.9%
Government
officials 3 0.0%
Court personnel 124 0.8%
Consultants 79 0.5%
Coordinators 83 0.5%
Directors 621 4.1%
Retired 10 0.1%
Total 15,179 100.0%
Asked if they wanted to receive notices of new BJS reports,
96.7% did.
Interest in receiving
new BJS reports Number Percent
Wants new BJS reports 14,677 96.7%
Doesn't want new
BJS reports 275 1.8%
Unknown 227 1.5%
Total 15,179 100%
Those who wanted notices of BJS reports along with reports
from other agencies (87.2%) outnumbered those who wanted
notices of BJS reports only (3.6%).
Types of notices respondents want Number Percent
Want BJS reports only 553 3.6%
Want BJS and other
agencies' reports 13,235 87.2%
Neither BJS nor other
agencies' reports 1,391 9.2%
Total 15,179 100.0%
Asked whether they wanted notices by E-mail, fax, or U.S.
mail, 78.7% wanted U.S. mail; 18.7% e-mail; 9.6% fax.
The majority, 81.3%, did not list an e-mail address;
90.4% did not list a fax number.
The categories overlapped somewhat:
Respondents' preference Number Percent
E-mail only 1,663 11.0%
Fax only 522 3.4%
U.S. mail only 10,385 68.4%
E-mail and fax 173 1.1%
E-mail and U.S. mail 797 5.3%
Fax and U.S. mail 567 3.7%
E-mail, fax, and U.S.mail 198 1.3%
None 874 5.8%
Total 15,179 100.0%
Asked if they would want to receive BJS data
and reports on a CD-ROM,
73.6% said no;
14.2% said yes;
12.2% did not answer.
Of the 14.2% who said yes,
6.3% said they would pay a $15 shipping and handling charge;
2.3% said $20;
1.0% said $30;
0.7% said $25.
Academics were more willing to pay postage and handling
for CD-ROM's than any other profession.
Asked if they have ever used the Internet,
52.3% of respondents said yes;
43.2% said no.
Of respondents who had been online,
24.2% had visited the BJS site in the previous month;
28.9% had not;
47.0% did not answer.
Of those who had visited the BJS site,
1,649 people visited the site while at home, an average of 3.8 times a month;
2,285 visited the BJS site while at work, an average of 4.2 times a month.
Adobe Acrobat portable document format (pdf) files show
reports the way they look when printed. These files are
viewable on any computer and printable on any printer.
The software is free. Of those respondents who used the
Internet,
18.1% did not use Adobe Acrobat;
12.4% did;
9.1% did not respond.
Asked if they have ever downloaded a document onto their
computer, 55.4% of those who use the Internet said yes.
The most popular file types they downloaded were--
15.0% ASCII (.txt) or plain text
13.4% Internet (.html) pages
10.9% Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files
7.6% graphics (.gif) files
4.9% zipped (.zip) spreadsheets
3.6% unzipped (.wk1) spreadsheets.
14.5% said there was no limit to the file size they could download;
2.0% had limits.
Asked if they still want to receive printed and bound reports by mail,
89.7% (13,623) said yes;
5.5% said no.
Asked what factors influenced their need for printed copies,
54.1% said the subject;
36.4% said how often they used it;
23.6 % said length.
Of those who said length was a factor, 13.6% of them wanted
paper copies of reports 25 or more pages long.
Comparing Internet use by region,
34.2% of respondents in the South had been online;
22.8% in the Midwest;
22.4% in the Northeast;
20.5% in the West.
Occupations that used the BJS site were--
13.0% law enforcement;
9.1% academics;
3.7% directors.
Those who used the BJS site were mostly in the South,
followed by the Northeast, the Midwest, and the West.
Most professions, including academics, wanted report
notices--
by U.S. mail first,
then by E-mail,
then by fax, and finally,
a combination of the three ways.
* * *
Comparison with the fall 1993 survey of BJS print product
users
According to the report on the fall 1993 BJS user survey,
"Flow of Criminal Justice Statistical Information by
Electronic Means," 36,000 surveys were mailed and 5,811
were received, a response rate of 16%.
The survey sample was larger in 1997 (61,000), as was
the rate of response (26%). The geographic distribution
was the same; most of the BJS users were in the South.
In 1993, 46% of respondents preferred to receive reports
by paper, compared to 89.7% in 1997.
In 1993, 19% of the respondents preferred faxed copies;
in 1997, 9.6% wanted notices of reports by fax.
* * *
User Comments
Many users used this section to request information.
Many expressed satisfaction with BJS reports and staff
(see attachments).
* * *
1997 Bureau of Justice Statistics User Survey:
Comments by Respondents
1. "Thank you for providing this
information." --Silver Spring, Md.
2. "You guys and gals are great!
Thanks."
--Human Rights Campaign, D.C.
3. "BJS does a great job providing
information. Keep up the great work!"
--College Station, Texas
4. "Thank you for your outstanding
service." --San Antonio, Texas
5. "I have thoroughly enjoyed the service
of BJS." --Shawnee, Okla.
6. "You do an excellent job in handling
my information that you send to me in
the mail. I have found each and every
piece a real value for my use in my text.
Thank you for your help."
-- Cleveland, Ohio
7. "The data I receive from BJS greatly
assists me in...educational
presentations." -- Boothwyn, Pa.
8. "Your service is very much appre-ciated."
--County clerk, Washington State
9. "The information is excellent for
teaching. Keep em coming!' Thanks!"
--Silver Spring, Md.
10 "We are very grateful for this service
and our collaboration with you."
--South Huntington, N.Y.
11. "BJS has been exceptionally prompt
in replying to my FAX requests for
printed materials. This information has
been included in a New York State
curriculum (for correction officers in NY
State prisons) on "Tuberculosis and
Bloodborne Pathogens: Transmission
Prevention." The up-to-date statistics
from a reliable source have been well
received in direct training of correction
officers and state correctional staff.
Thank you very much for providing this
credible, efficient service."
--Buffalo, N.Y.
12 "Thank you! You're doing an
excellent job!" --Teacher, Erie, Pa.
13. "This information has been very
helpful to our agency. It has assisted us
in obtaining statistical information
required for reports." --Lake Mary, Fla.
14. "Keep up the good work."
--Hopkins, Minn.
15. "Your Web site is great. Using
Acrobat the file size is small even for a
large report. I downloaded the
document... and printed several copies.
If the material is not what I thought it
was, I can just delete it and save us all
money." --Las Vegas, Nev.
16. "Your reports and bulletins are great
assets for statistical data and verifica-tion.
They have especially helped my
graduate research on Domestic Violence
and Violent Crime. Thanks! Keep up the
good work!" --Providence, R.I.
17. "Always appreciate the short time it
take to get a publication from you.
Thanks." --Lancaster, Pa.
18. "The information you provide is
excellent. I appreciate what you do as
an educator, consultant, and in my works
environment. Thank you."
--San Antonio, Texas
19. "I am very grateful for the information
I have received from you. I have used
BJS information in many of my college
research papers." --Galena, Mo.
20. "Thank you for all your assistance
and cooperation in sending statistical
research and follow-up material on latest
status of criminal justice issues. Please
keep it up! Most appreciated!"
--Investigator, Laredo, Texas
21. "I am generally satisfied; only
problem is that I order things for work
and for personal use but the orders get
confused. Ability to have 2 accounts for
1 person would be nice. Also, more
studies funded by BJA/OJP grants would
be great to read even if the results are
not earth-shaking." --Baltimore, Md.
22. "I find the material extremely helpful
in my work as a researcher writer and
often pass on relevant information to
graduate students and others interested
in the info sent." --Tallahassee, Fla.
23 " All of the BJS materials rec'd are
extremely valuable to me in research,
writing, and teaching." --Professor,
Boston, Mass.
24. "Our publishing company is very
grateful for the information you provide
us. The data from your materials is used
by our Product Development staff to
produce booklets used by police
agencies, courts, community crime watch
groups, public schools, etc.... to educate
the public on how to be safe, don't use
drugs, the hazards of alcohol and
driving, and so on... Again, thanks so
much for the service you provide."
--Marketing Director, South
Deerfield, Mass.
23. "Very interested to hear from you
folks. Your data is always very helpful."
--Coral Springs, Fla.
24. "Only comment is Thank You! :)"
--Helena, Mont.
25. "The information from BJS has been
of much help to me. I have been on the
board of N.C. Van 11 years and your
information has been helpful for 9 years.
I am a victim of crime paralyzed from the
waist down and have been in a wheel-chair
for 19 years. Thanks so much for
your support." --Statesville, N.C.
26. "These reports are invaluable for
teachers. They allow us to stay up-to-date
and assist students (as well as
teachers) with research projects."
--Fayetteville, N.C.
27. "This is one of so very few
remaining sources where objectivity is
the key and not a preconceived idea
which drives the researchers to prove'
that preconceived, biased opinion."
--Lt. Col., Gladwyne, Pa.
28. "I love the on-line sourcebook--it's
great to just search on firearm'!"
--Research Associate, Washington, D.C.
29. "Justice is the heart of America. It is
of paramount importance to share your
information with fellow citizens. Unfor-
tunately many citizens can't even afford
a small postage or handling fee. Really!
Keep the faith and keep your good work
coming. Thanks!" --Etiwanda, Calif.
30. "With thanks for sending me highly
informative materials that are useful in
my teaching." --Associate Professor,
Ada, Ohio
31. "I appreciate the service you provide
and it is most helpful to my organization.
Please maintain this public service."
--Institute of Firearms, Toledo, Ohio
32. "Thank you so much for your
wonderful publications. I don't know what
I would do without them!"
--Professor, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
33. "This information that is provided is
one of the greatest educational tools that
an instructor can use, for current and
future reference. The sourcebook is the
greatest!" --Citrus Springs, Fla.
34. "Your information in the form of
sheets are a valuable link for others to
what is happening in other parts of the
country. We are able to draw on some
of the resources you share to be sure we
don't reinvent the wheel' but rather
focus our limited time and energy toward
working with our juveniles and families."
--Concord, N.H.
35. "These reports have been an
extremely valuable tool in my school
work." --Fort Campbell, Ky.
36. "Our department greatly benefits
from your work and we deeply
appreciate you. Thanks." --Deputy
Probation Officer, Santa Ana, Calif.
37. "Keep up the good work. Whenever
I call on the phone for a report, your
personnel are very helpful." -- Sergeant,
Livonia Police, Livonia, Mich.
38. "Thanks for asking! Not only do you
put out excellent documents; you also
care about your customers."
--Silver Spring, Md.
39. "The material has been invaluable in
the classroom. Storage is always a
problem. CD-ROMs would solve the
storage problem. Personal thanks to BJS
and all those who make the material
available." --Professor, Sommerville, N.J.
40. "Information is used at our meetings
and for legislative support in certain
purposed laws." --Director, Kentucky
Voice for Crime Victims, Inc.,
Louisville, Ky.
41. "Find the Internet and Fax to be the
most desirable method to find and
receive info. However, an occasional
snail mail' catalog would be beneficial."
--Administrative Officer, Cary, N.C.
42. "Excellent service; up-to-date
information on research projects and
data collections in the criminal justice
field." --Investigator, State Public
Defender, Hudson, Wis.
* * *
SURVEY FORM
U.S. Department of Justice Official Business Bulk Mail
Office of Justice Programs Penalty for Private Use $300 Indicia
Bureau of Justice Statistics
(Mailing label)
Tell us how you want to get information from BJS
More and more people are asking for information
electronically--fax, e-mail, Internet, CD-ROM.
To help us better serve your needs--
Please mail or fax this form by June 20, 1997. Thanks!
1. Do you want to receive notices of new BJS reports?
__yes __no (if no, skip to item 2)
a. If yes, do you want to get notices of (pick one)--
__ BJS reports only, or
__ reports by BJS and other justice agencies
b. If yes, do you want to receive notices of reports by--
__ e-mail? If so, write your e-mail address clearly
here:_________________________________
__ fax? If so and your fax is on all the time and receives
at night when long-distance rates are low, write your
fax number here: (_____)____________________
__ U.S. mail?
__ If so, and the mailing label above needs
correcting, please write the corrections
beside the label and cross out the wrong
information.
__ If so, check here to get a registration form
for the 24-page National Criminal Justice
Reference Service Catalog (free, every 2
months), with abstracts and order forms
for reports by BJS as well as the National
Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice
Assistance, Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Preventiion, other justice
agencies, and private publishers.
2. Do you want BJS data and reports on a CD-ROM
(compact disk) you can view or load on your computer?
__ yes __ no (if no, skip to item 3)
If yes, would you pay postage, handling, copying,
and packaging costs up to--
__ $15 __ $20 __ $25 __ $30
3. Do you use the Internet World Wide Web?
__ yes __ no (if no, skip to item 4)
a. If yes, have you in the past month visited the BJS site
at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ ? Check all that apply:
__ yes: __ at home about __ times
__ at work about __ times
__ not at all
b. If yes, do you use the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view
reports the way they look when printed?
__ yes __ no __ don't know
c. If yes, have you ever downloaded a document onto your
computer? If so, check all types of files that apply:
__ ASCII (.txt) __ spreadsheet (.wk1)
__ Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) __ zipped spreadsheets (.zip)
__ graphics (.gif) __ Internet page (.html)
If yes, is there a limit to the file size you download?
__ no limit __ yes, ____________ megabytes
4. Do you still want to receive printed, bound reports by mail?
__ yes __ no (if no, list your preferred other
methods):________________________________
________________________________________________
If yes, check which If length is a factor, do you
factors influence want printed copies only:
your need for of reports more than--
printed copies: __ 25 pages long?
__ length __ 50 pages?
__ subject __ 75 pages?
__ frequency of use __ 96 pages (with a spine)?
__ other: _______________?
Other factors that influence your need for printed copies:
_________________________________________________________
Your preferences are important to us. We look forward to
serving your future needs for our information. Please
write other comments on the back. By June 20, 1997, please
fax this form to 410-792-4358 or mail it to the address below.
Thank you!
_____________________________________________________________
Fax to 410-792-4358 --
or fold on this line, seal with tape, stamp, and mail to:
Bureau of Justice Statistics Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 179
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0179
Please tell us how you want to get information from BJS
Please fill out the form on the back and mail or fax
before June 20, 1997. Thanks!
Additional comments
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